I just received my Alumnae Magazine from my graduate school and perused the class notes pages. It was interesting to sort of tally up the photos on t6hose pages. There were a lot of photos of Mom with the new baby and, increasingly, Dad with the new baby. (I attended a public university where the graduates are split roughly 65-35 male to female, currently.) I observed that the Big Shots (the ¼ page with the larger photo and prominent text) were dominated by men promoted to CEO, President or another position of leadership. The only quarter-page Big Shots that included women were: 1 death and 1 co-author of a new book with her husband.

Should I blame the publication? The class secretaries? The University? Or might it be that women graduates who HAVE achieved positions of leadership (CEOs, Presidents, Board members) have a greater tendency to shun the limelight, hide their success blushingly under the bushel basket, and simply not forward their success stories and their professionally-taken head shots to their alumnae magazines with the appropriate publicist copy?

Might it be that women have the greater tendency to send in the photos of their kids as “my greatest achievement.” That tells me: “Here, this is what I’m doing with that $100,000 plus education you gave me. This is how I’m using it today.”

Actually, that’s fine: that’s called choice. But, I would really like to see a few more women strut their stuff when they achieve something in addition, along the way. Just for a little variety. You know: just a little diversity.